i had never seen one of these little delivery robots before, so naturally i rushed over to take a picture. her name was nana, and her screen announced that she was on delivery.
when i got close, nana’s eyes got huge like she recognized me. then the screen changed: “push crosswalk button for me?”
i was like, “ok?!” so i pressed it, and we waited to cross together.
just two pedestrians in west hollywood. one of us had a job.
i had been wanting to go back to hearst castle since i visited as a child, so—what—thirty years ago? please do not check the math.
the place looks great. we both look like we have not aged a day. i mean that sincerely, as long as everyone agrees not to inspect the available evidence too closely.
and yes, that is the neptune pool where lady gaga filmed “g.u.y.” somehow the castle survived both william randolph hearst and artpop. honestly, it looks ready for another thirty years.
we stopped in big sur for some hiking and spent the night in a cabin. it was beautiful, obviously, but after all that washington green it felt noticeably drier—sunny, dusty, and a little more determined to scratch you.
then i almost stepped on a snake.
not saw a snake from a pleasant, educational distance. almost put my foot on a snake. i could not anymore after that. my hiking career was over for the day.
so we retired to the cabin with a bottle of wine and pizza and watched our stories on the ipad. nature had made its point; indoor entertainment restored order.